Northampton County
Northampton County, Pennsylvania: solar permitting grade B (score 40/100, Moderate Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | B · Moderate Risk · Score 40/100 |
| Population | 318,467 |
| Solar ordinance | Active solar ordinance on the books |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Improving (ordinance direction easing) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Northampton County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation.
Local intel
On file: named opposition groups
Cities, towns & townships
In Pennsylvania, townships hold their own zoning and land-use authority, so the rules for a site in Northampton County often depend on which of these governments it falls in.
- Bethlehem citypartly in this county
- Easton city
- Bangor borough
- Bath borough
- Chapman borough
- East Bangor borough
- Freemansburg borough
- Glendon borough
- Hellertown borough
- Nazareth borough
- North Catasauqua borough
- Northampton borough
- Pen Argyl borough
- Portland borough
- Roseto borough
- Stockertown borough
- Tatamy borough
- Walnutport borough
- West Easton borough
- Wilson borough
- Wind Gap borough
- Allen township
- Bethlehem township
- Bushkill township
Show all
- East Allen township
- Forks township
- Hanover township
- Lehigh township
- Lower Mount Bethel township
- Lower Nazareth township
- Lower Saucon township
- Moore township
- Palmer township
- Plainfield township
- Upper Mount Bethel township
- Upper Nazareth township
- Washington township
- Williams township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Warren County, NJ · ≈17 miD53—
- Lehigh County · ≈18 miD52—
- Monroe County · ≈21 miB35—
- Carbon County · ≈24 miB41—
- Hunterdon County, NJ · ≈24 miD58—
- Bucks County · ≈31 miB41—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Northampton County ranks #11 of 67 ranked Pennsylvania counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Pennsylvania: Montgomery County (B · 33), Monroe County (B · 35), Perry County (B · 36). See all Pennsylvania county grades →
Want the full record?
Setback distances, board vote histories, source documents, and ordinance amendments are available in the full county profile. The map is free; a walkthrough shows you the underlying record.
About this score
Every U.S. county is scored 0–100 on solar permitting risk (lower is friendlier to development). The grade is a weighted composite of compliance stringency, market saturation, regulatory trajectory, and data uncertainty. Every figure traces back to a primary government document. Read the full methodology →
Related reading
SitePath Intelligence is a research platform. Data verified as of 2026-05-02. Scores update on a quarterly review cycle.